Car coupler



Feb. 2, 1932. w. REESE 1,843,629

CAR COUPLER Filed May 27, 1929 Fatented Feb. 2, 1932 rarer or fice WIL IAM REESE, or cen'rcu, orrro' CAB COUPLER Application filed May 27,

My invention relates to improvements in the Janney type of twin knuckle couplers conforming to the master car builders standard, and more particularly to the tails of the swinging knuckles of such couplers andto the locking and unlocking means therefor.

As ordinarily constructed, such couplers are not adapted for easy coupling on curves;

- and the objects of the present improvements include the provision of improved tails for the swinging knuckles and improved locking and unlocking means for the tails, adapted for certain and efficient operation not only on straight track but also on curves.

The present invention includes common subject matterof the invention set forth in my prior application for patent for car co'uplers, filed November 10', 1927, Serial No. 232,307, of which the present application is a continuation in part. c The objects of the improvements vare attained by a construction and arrangement for the improved car coupler hereinafter set forth in detail and claimed; and which may be stated 111 general terms as lncludmg an improvedtail piece for the coupler swinging knuckle, means for locking the tail piece including a vertically slidable locking bolt having a rigid depending tail piece catch and an oscillating depending tail piece catch pivotally supported at one side of the rigid catch, whereby a positive locking of the tail piece is effected first by the rigid catch and then by the oscillating catch during a coupling operation, and the rigid catch being adapted to lock the tail piece when the couplers are being coupled to each other in coupling on a curve.

A preferred embodiment of the present improvements is illustrated in the accome panying drawings forming part hereof, in which Y p Figure 1 is a front elevation view-ofone of the improved car couplers, portions of the swinging knuckle being broken away for showing the improved tail piece locked by the rigid catch, the oscillating catch being swung back ready'for swinging forward into 1 locking position upon a further lateral.

swinging of the tail piece;

1929 Serial No. 366,170.

relative positions when coupling on ,a curve after the rigid catches have locked. the tail pieces, and before the oscillating catches have been actuated into a lockedposition;

Fig. 4, a View similar to Fig. '8, after the couplers have been straightened out and the oscillating catches have beenactuated;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary view similar to Fig.

2, illustratingthe swinging knuckle in its extreme open positionfand showing the circumferentially wedged outer end of the tail piece;

Fig. 6, a

the improved locking bolt;

, Fig. 7, a frontelevation thereof;

Fig.8, a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, with the knuckle swung open for illustrating the preferred vertically centrallocation ofthe improved tail piece with reference to the top and bottom .of the drawhead; and

Fig. 9, a fragmentary bottom plan View of the coupler, showing the L-shaped slot for the locking bolt.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

' The improved coupler-indicated generally at lOincludes a draw head'ill having mountthe knuckle. from the pivotal mounting thereof. v I

The lower surface15 of the tail piece .is preferably sloping and the upper surface 16 thereof slopes downwardly to form a circumferentially wedged outer end 17 for the tail as best illustrated in Fig. 5. The tail piece is preferably located midway between the top and bottom of the draw head and knuckle for equalizing the loads applied tothe top and bottom portions thereof.

detached side elevation v'iew of .The knuckle 13 is provided with an improved tail piece 14 extending angular The draw head 11 is preferably hollow, and includes an upper wall 18 and a lower wall 19 and the upper wall 18 is provided with a vertical slot 20 therein opposite which a vertical slot 21 is provided in the lower wall 19, and the slots 20 and 21 are adapted to receive a vertically slidable improved locking bolt 23.

The improved locking bolt 23 includes at one side a rigid depending tail piece catch 24 provided at its upper end with an overhanging beveled head 25 adapted to be engaged by the circumferentially wedged outer end 1'? as the tail piece is swung laterally in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, whereby the lockingbolt 23 is elevated by the tail piece until the end thereof passes entirely under the overhanging head 25, after which the action of gravity drops the locking bolt and securely locks the tail piece behind the inner side 26 of the head 25, as bestillustrated in'Fig. 3.

The width of the catch 24 and head 25 is'such that the same will be operative to lock the tail piece when coupling on a curve.

For further locking the tail piece after the couplers, which may have been angled as illustrated'in Fig. 3, are straightened out, as illustrated inFig. 4, the locking bolt is provided'with a pivot pin 27 which ext-ends laterally through an enlarged aperture 28 at the upper end of an oscillating catch 29 located adjacent the side 26 of the rigid catch 24. Thus the oscillating catch 29 is capable of a limited sliding movement as well as a pivotal movement relative to the rigid catch 24;. A cam notch 30 is provided in the front face of the oscillating catch 29 enabling the same to be oscillated to the rear'as indicated in full lines at A in Fig. 2, when the tail piece has been laterally swung to lock beside the rigid catch. In this position the upper end of the front face of the oscillating catch 29 rests against the outer end of the tail piece as indicated at 31, the outer end of the tail piece forcing the oscillating catch upwards so that the bottom of the aperture 28-abuts against the bottom of the pin 27.

After the tail piece has further oscillated, allowing the catch 29 to swing down into locked position as indicated ir Fig. l, the oscillating catch drops so that the top of the aperture 28 rests against the top of the pin 27, whereby the oscil ating catch locks the tail piece regardless of the swinging of the catch due to going up and down hill, the extreme positions of the oscillating catch after the same has locked the tail piece being illustrated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2.

' The width of the wedge portion of the tail piece is such that when the parts are locked in the position shown in Fig. 4, the tail piece will have a substantially tight fit between the side wall of the draw head and the oscil-- lating catch, so as to prevent undue swinging movement of the coupler when in use.

As illustrated in Figs. 3, 4: and 9 the slot 21 in the bottom wall 19 is preferably L shaped, the rigid catch 24 vertically sliding in the laterally extending leg 21a of the L and the oscillating catch swinging in the longitudinally extending leg 21?) of the L.

A ring 32 is inserted in the lower end of the rigid catch 24 preventing removal of the lock bolt during normal use of the coupler.

It will be seen that the slidable pivotal connection between the rigid catch and the oscillating catch, together with the cam notch in the oscillating catch, permits the tail piece, upon being rotated past the rigid catch, to push the oscillating catch rearwardly and upwardly without disturbing the position of the rigid catch. Upon further rotating the tail piece past the oscillating catch the action of gravity will drop the same forwardly and downwardly to its normal position to lock the tail piece against rotary movement in the reverse direction. 7

I claim: V

1. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle, there being an L slot in the draw head, and a locking bolt slidable in the l. slot, the locking bolt including a rigid depending locking catch and a movable depending locking catch pivotally inounted on the bolt at one side of the rigid catch, the rigid catch being slidable in one leg of the L slot, and the movable catch oscillating in the other leg of the L slot, and

the rigid catch and the movable catch each having an overhanging portion successively slidably contacted by the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into position to prevent movement of the tail piece inthe reverse direction. 7

2. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle and having a wedged outer end, there being an L slot in the draw head, and a locking bolt slidable in the L slot, the locking boltincluding a rigid depending locking catch and a movable depending locking catch pivotally mounted on the bolt at one side ofthe rigid catch, the rigid catch being slidablein one leg of the L slot, and the movable catch oscillating in the other leg of the L slot, and the rigid catch and the movable catch each having an overhanging portion successively slidably contacted by the wedged'outer end of the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into posi-. tion to prevent movement of the tail piece in the reverse direction.

3. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle and being located substantially midway between the top and bottom of the draw head, there being an L slot in the draw head, and a locking bolt slidable in the L slot, the locking bolt including a rigid depending locking catch and a movable depending locking catch pivotally mounted on the bolt at one side of the rigid catch, the rigid catch being slidable in one leg of the t. slot, and the movable catch oscillating inthe other leg of the L slot, and the rigid catch and the movable catch each having an overhanging portion successively slida ly contacted by the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into position to prevent movement of the tail piece in the reverse direction.

4:. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle and having a wedged outer end and being located 5 substantially midway between the top and bottom of the draw head, there being an L rigid catch and the movable catch each having an overhanging portion successively slidably contacted by the wedged outer end of the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into position to prevent movement of the tail piece in the reverse direction.

5. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle, and a locking bolt slidably mounted in the draw head, the locking bolt including a rigid depending locking catch and a depending looking catch movably mounted on the bolt at one side of the rigid catch, the rigid catch and the movable catch each including an overhanging portion successively slidably contacted by the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction, whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into position to prevent movement of the tail piece in the reverse direction, the

draw head including a bottom wall having a slot formed therein and the movable catch having a lower end portion extending through the slot.

6. A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle and being located substantially midway between the top and bottom of the draw head, and a locking bolt slidably mounted in the draw head, the locking bolt including a rigid depending locking catch and a depending looking catch movably mounted on the bolt at one side of the rigid catch,'the rigid catch and the movable catch each including an overhanging portion successively slidably contacted by the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction, whereby the catches are successively displaced and then drop into position to prevent movement of the tail, piece in the reverse direction, the draw head including a bottom wall having a slot formed therein and the movable catch having a lower end portion extending through the slot.

7 A coupler including a draw head, a knuckle pivotally mounted in the draw head, a tail piece extending from the knuckle, and a locking bolt slidably mounted in the draw head, the locking bolt including a rigid depending locking catch and a depending locking catch slidably and pivotally mounted upon the rigid catch, the rigid catch having an overhanging portion for being contacted by the tail piece when moving about its pivotal axis in one direction for'raising the locking bolt, and the slidably and pivotally mounted catch being provided with a cam notch for being engaged by the tail piece upon further movement in the same direction for raising the movable catch only, the rigid and movable catches being adapted to successively drop behind the tail piece to prevent movement thereof in the reverse direction.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have 

